Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Cheops’

ABSTRACT

A chrysanthemum plant named ‘CHEOPS’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with pink ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date August 21-27; blooming for a period of 4 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘CHEOPS’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoorpot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating newchrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a natural seasonflower date around August 21-27; blooming for a period of 4 weeks. Thenew plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivarof Chrysanthemum plant ‘CHEOPS’ is a seedling resulting from the openpollination among groups of chrysanthemum cultivars maintained under thecontrol of the inventor for breeding purposes. The new and distinctcultivar was discovered and selected as one flowering plant by RobNoodelijk on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, Holland in September,1997. The plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings in greenhousesat Rijsenhout, Holland. The new cultivar has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage and petiole of the newcultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under naturalday length and temperature and planted week 22 in 1998 and 1999. Thenatural blooming date of this crop was August 21-27 (week 34). Theaverage height of the plants was 30-35 cms. No growth retardants wereused. No tests were done on disease or insects resistance orsusceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought resistiance. Thisnew variety produces medium sized blooms with pink ray florets and ayellow disc-florets blooming for a period of 4 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘CHEOPS’ is ‘MEGAN’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,756). When‘MEGAN’ and ‘CHEOPS’ are being compared the following differences arenoticed: The differences of ‘MEGAN’ and ‘CHEOPS’ are (1) Naturalblooming date. ‘CHEOPS’ flowers much earlier. (2) Flower shape. ‘MEGAN’has more ray-florets (duplex daisy). (3) Flower color. The flower colorof ‘MEGAN’ is more dark.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘CHEOPS’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

Table 1: Botanical Description of Cultivar ‘Cheops’

Bud:

Size.—Medium; cross-section 1.2 cm, height 1.0 cm.

Outside color.—Purple 75 B.

Involucral bracts.—2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm.

Involucral bracts among disc-florets.—Not present.

Involucral bracts color.—Green 138 A.

Bloom:

Type.—Daisy.

Height.—Flat, 1.4-1.6 cm.

Size.—Medium.

Fully expanded.—5.5-6.0 cm.

Number of blooms per branch.—Approx. 4-5 blooms per branch.

Performance on the plant.—4 weeks.

Seeds (if crossed).—Produced in large quantities, oval shaped.Grey-brown 199 A, 2 mm in length.

Fragrance.—Typical chrysanthemum, slight.

Color:

Center of the flower (disc-florets).—Mature yellow-orange 16 A.

Color of upper surface of the ray-florets.—Red-purple 74 D.

Color of the lower surface of the ray-florets.—Purple 75 B.

Tonality from distance.—A garden mum with pink flowers and a yellowdisc.

Color of the upper surface of the flowers after aging of theplant.—Purple 75 D.

Ray florets:

Texture.—Upper and under side smooth.

Number.—36-40.

Cross-section.—Flat.

Longitudinal axis of majority.—Straight.

Length of corolla tube.—Very short, 0.3-0.5 cm.

Ray-floret margin.—Entire.

Ray-floret length.—2.0-2.4 cm.

Ray-floret width.—0.5-0.9 cm.

Ratio length/width.—Medium.

Shape of tip.—Rounded sometimes dentate.

Disc florets:

Disc diameter.—1.2-1.4 cm.

Distribution of disc florets.—Numerous, clearly visible at all stages offlowering.

Shape.—Tubular.

Color.—Yellow-green 153 A.

Receptacle shape.—Conical raised.

Reproductive organs:

Stamen (present in disc florets only).—Thick, 4 mm in length.

Stamen color.—Yellow-green 153 A.

Pollen.—Present.

Pollen color.—Yellow-orange 16 A.

Styles.—Thin.

Style color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Style length.—4 mm.

Stigmas color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Stigma width.—1 mm.

Ovaries.—Enclosed in calyx.

Plant:

Shape.—Grown as a spray-type pot-mum, outdoor rounded to flat.

Growth habit.—Spreading.

Growth rate.—Moderate.

Height.—30-35 cm.

Width.—28-30 cm.

Stem color.—Green 138 A.

Stem strength.—Strong.

Stem brittleness.—Present.

Stem anthocyanin coloration.—Present, a thin layer of greyed-red 181 Amainly at the base of the stem.

Length of lateral branch.—From top to bottom 10-12 cm.

Lateral branch color.—Green 138 A.

Lateral branch, attachment.—Strong.

Branching (average number of lateral branches).—Prolific with 5-6 breaksafter pinching.

Peduncle length.—2.0-2.2 cm.

Peduncle color.—Green 138 A.

Natural season blooming date.—August 21-27.

Foliage:

Color of mature leaves.—Upper side green 137 A. Under side green 137 C.

Color of immature leaves.—Upper side green 137 A. Under side green 137C.

Size.—Very small; length 4.5 cm, width 4.0 cm.

Quantity (number per lateral branch).—8-10.

Shape.—Ovate.

Texture upper side.—Glabrous.

Texture under side.—Pubescent.

Venation arrangement.—Palmate.

Shape of the margin.—Serrated.

Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes.—Acute.

Margin of sinus between lateral lobes.—Converging.

Shape of base.—Truncate sometimes asymmetrical.

Apex.—Cuspidate.

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties (when grown under thesame conditions) ‘CHEOPS’ ‘MEGAN’ Natural blooming date 21-27 August20-24 September Flower shape Daisy Duplex daisy Flower color Red-purple74 D Red-purple 72 C

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant asdescribed and illustrated.